City Museum Review: St. Louis’ Ultimate Indoor Experience for All Ages

During one of our family trips last year, we headed to St. Louis, Missouri to visit my parents. One of the many tourist destinations we chose to visit was the City Museum! The pictures you see on their website and online does not even begin to tell you the amazing experience this was for my family! Check out my City Museum Review below to learn more about why this is rated the #1 Family Attraction in the World by Trip.com!

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City Museum Review: St. Louis’ Ultimate Indoor Experience for All Ages!

I carefully planned our itinerary for our family vacation to St. Louis online and I must say, one of the most unique places is found there; the City Museum is much more than what I expected! My kids could not stop talking about this place and they can’t wait to go back!

City Museum Background

When you see the City Museum, you will automatically realize they re-purposed the entire building! It is a 600,000 square foot building that use to be the International Shoe Company that was redesigned by Bob Cassilly, an internationally acclaimed sculptor. City Museum first opened in 1997 and was constructed by Bob Cassilly and his crew of 20 artists who uses reclaimed building materials from the city itself! They’ve incorporated salvaged bridges, cranes, and even abandoned planes among many other things in a fun, beautifully created way!

First Impressions

Upon arriving at City Museum, you can see the artistic work Bob Cassilly and his crew constructed immediately. Huge metal apparatuses looping in and out of the building in all sorts of directions accompanied by hundreds of people weaving through and even more people at the entrance waiting to get in. Wow. I was definitely as excited, if not more excited, than my kids were! I couldn’t believe the imagination and creativity that was used to build this place, especially re-purposing an old building and bringing it back to life!

Some (because there’s too many to write about) City Museum Attractions

Outdoor Attractions

MonstroCity is what you’ll see immediately arriving at City Museum because it’s entirely outside. It is a 4-story outdoor playground made up of wrought iron slinkies (yes, I really mean slinkies), huge slides, and even planes! MonstroCity is open weather permitting.

The Roof is seasonal and houses a 1940’s Ferris wheel and even more slides!

Indoor Attractions

The World’s Largest Jungle Gym – The entire City Museum is the largest indoor and outdoor jungle gym play area I’ve ever seen! With giant wrought iron slinkies serving as tunnels looping through the entire 10-story building with multiple rooms and slides, this place is like the Disneyland of McDonald’s Indoor Play Places!

Enchanted Caves and Shoe Shafts Slides – Enjoy a 5-story and 10-story (accessed through the Enchanted Caves) spiral slide that’s located in the old shoe shafts of the building! Having two toddlers means I spent a lot of time in this area! These slides are so much fun! The Enchanted Caves were really cool because they’re built like an actual cave system:

Deep in the belly of the museum there exists a labyrinth of tunnels filled with creatures of the imagination. A City Museum favorite since 2003, but encompassing a sense of secrecy as old as time, the Enchanted Caves await you. Enter, and absorb the mysteries of your surroundings as you warily make your way toward the mystical glow of crystals located at the heart of the caves. Look up, and factory spiral conveyor belts (once part of the historic International Shoe Co) dare you to explore your way to the top, and then take a delightfully dizzying trip back down on the 10 story spiral slide! Along the way, you’ll find the faces of creatures both real and imagined peering back at you from every corner. – City Museum

4th Floor Attractions

Toddler Town – Located on the 4th floor, Toddler Town is an enclosed area and is specifically designed for ages 6 and under! You’ll find fairly quickly why everyone has a wristband and why it’s important to put your cell phone number on your child’s wristband because it’s highly likely that your child will enter one of those tunnels and you can’t fit to follow. With Toddler Town, the enclosed area ensures that your child is at least on the same floor secluded in a particular section!

Kids can try out a smaller slide, ball pit, and crawl tunnel. Bright, colorful padded flooring provides extra cushion for visitors just starting to walk, and little builders can even make their own creations from giant foam blocks.Away from the noise and excitement of the main museum, there’s plenty of seating for parents to watch (or rest!) – City Museum

City Express – There’s a choo-choo train for visitors under 48″! A quick miniature train ride but make sure to get in line quickly because it doesn’t hold many passengers! The City Express is located on the 4th floor around the corner from the entrance of Toddler Town.

Skateless Park – Also located on the 4th floor, inside you’ll be surrounded by ramps and rope swings and no skateboards! My son loved sliding down these big ramps and trying his strength at running up the walls Ninja Warrior style!

Everyday Circus – They even have a circus that performs there! You can see the performance times here.

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Visitor Information

Hours of Operations

Monday – Thursday: 9AM-5PM

Friday – Saturday: 9AM- Midnight

Sunday: 11AM-5PM

Admission

Children 2 and under are FREE

$14 (+taxes) ages 3+ ($12+taxes after 5PM on Fridays & Saturdays)

Roof admission is general admission + $5 (Closed from November – May)

Parking is $10 cash only.

First Time Visitor? Try these tips!

Think about coming after 5pm on Friday and Saturday to save on admission cost

Have you ever been to the City Museum? What was your favorite attraction?
I would love to hear from you! Please leave me a comment below!

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Look at St. Louis! This indoor park looks like a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll make a trip soon.

Elaine Michaels

We just drove through St. Louis during Spring break and we did not goto City Museum! Looks like a perfect place for kids to explore and burn some extra energy that is indoors. We are headed back towards that area in a few months, and we’re definitely going to check this place out! Thanks for sharing!

Ann F. Snook-Moreau

I don’t have kids but this sounds awesome! Seems like a place you could go back to again and again and never have the same experience twice.

http://preciouslittleworlds.blogspot.com/ Hannah Wood

I so need to go to this place looks fantastic and not just for the kids I would have fun too

Holly J Hood

What an awesome concept for a Museum. I can image that the children loves this place with all that’s going on to entertain and intrigue their imagination. Thanks for the introduction, I have to visit this place. 🙂

https://shabbychicboho.com/ Terri Ramsey Beavers

I love museums of all sorts and when I go I travel alone because I love to read and see everything, taking my time. I’m obsessed with history. I’ve never been to this one but I would love to one day. I think it would be worth the trip based on your review and photos.

http://clementinecounty.com Melanie Walsh

My family would adore the City Museum! We love play that allows for kids to be kids. Definitely hope to be there soon.

Jocelyn Nielson

Oh my gosh, this looks like so much fun!! I absolutely adore musuems, so this looks like one I’ll have to visit, especially when I have kids of my own to bring with me.

Berlin Domingo

oh, I love it there. As in totally amazed with what it can give to my boys – total fun and absolute enjoyment. I havent seen anything close to that here in our country or perhaps, i need do a little research. But should we chance upon that place, we will surely include dropping by there in our itinerary,

David E

It does look like such a fun museum for kids. I love all the hands on stuff they seem to have there. It’s always more fun when its interactive.

Bye Felicia Hello Life

This looks like a lot of fun! I love museums. I can see enjoying this with kids.

Suzanne Spiegoski-Decamps

A must-stop visit in St. Louis! I’ve heard so many great things about their city museum.

kim@hungryhealthygirl

This museum looks awesome! My kids would love it!

Mickey Aldridge

This looks like so much fun. There should be more of these around and not just for kids.